Imagine if you have to spend money on a service you did not take, and you cannot even flag the issue to the service provider.
If, luckily, you do reach their customer service, they prove unhelpful and uncooperative.
Recently, several complaints have been made against Uber, a multinational transportation company that provides ride-hailing services.
In Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka, there is a growing demand for modern transportation services.
Uber has become increasingly popular by offering air-conditioned private car rides through a smartphone app, meeting the evolving needs of the time. Through this service, car owners and drivers have found ways to earn extra income.
However, there have already been allegations of irregularities, sufferings and inconsistencies against Uber.
The complaints
Five passengers who used Uber from April 4 to April 17 spoke of their negative experience, as the drivers engaged in behaviors contrary to company policies.
According to the victims, drivers would call and inquire about the destination, ask passengers to wait, and subsequently cancel the ride request after some time.
Because of this, the passengers had to pay Tk30 as a financial penalty, despite the fact that the request was cancelled by the Uber driver.
At the end of the ride, the Uber app asked if there was a “999” sticker on the cars, and as it turned out, most cars did not have it.
Additionally, users mentioned that drivers frequently refuse to provide change, leaving passengers no option but to forego the extra money from the fare as they are in a rush.
Despite Uber's provision of premium services for an additional fee, users said that cleanliness and the cars’ condition were not up to the mark.
When these issues were raised to the PR company working for Uber, they took time, and responded saying: “No comments.”
What the drivers say
Before informing the Uber authority, several drivers were questioned regarding the issues as well.
One of them said they prefer waiting on the roads for passengers who are not using the Uber app. “And if we take passengers using the app, we try to avoid roads with traffic congestion.”
Asked why drivers cancel the ride requests after making the users wait, he said: “Maybe the drivers did not like the passenger’s behavior.”
One of the major complaints of the drivers is that Uber deducts 28% of the money they earn. The company also offers to pay their salaries through Bkash, but the process takes time.
Guidelines
According to the policy of the ride-sharing services, both the organization and the vehicle owner must be registered with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA)
Additionally, the service area of the ride-sharing company should have a physical office. The call centre of the ride-sharing company is expected to operate 24/7.
However, passengers are mostly unaware of these facilities and their availability.
What BRTA says
BRTA Assistant Director Md Faruk Ahmed said that if the service recipient is unhappy about a service, there is an opportunity to complain in the app. If they receive complaints, the company is obliged to solve them.
However, in some instances, the issues remain unresolved other than providing cashback to the passengers.
Asked why these issues were still unresolved, Faruk Ahmed said: "There is a monitoring system. We can also take action if we receive complaints as per our Grievance Redressal System.”
